


Get!  The!  Story!

by Spazzo47



Category: The Newsroom (US TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-04
Updated: 2019-09-04
Packaged: 2020-10-06 19:01:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20511929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spazzo47/pseuds/Spazzo47
Summary: For LilacMermaid's August 2015 Challenge "Breaks and Sprains".  A primary character breaks/sprains a leg/arm/ankle/wrist/etc. She also suggested that it would be cool if we didn't use gun shot, Mac's war wounds, or Will/Mac not taking care of themselves.  Apparently, these are repeated themes here.  So I stayed away from all those things, and placed it at the one point in the show where someone did break some bones.





	Get!  The!  Story!

**Author's Note:**

> Woo Hoo! For the last week I have been limping along with my computer. This is my first story on a brand spanking new computer. I think of it as a test drive. But, what's even more exciting is that while I've been disabled, everyone else apparently hasn't been. So nice to be behind in reading.

Don called Elliot. He needed Elliot to know that this is important. Getting this story was important. Getting this right. Coming up as the hero for once. 

It’s not Don resented Will, Mackenzie and their crew. OK, maybe he did. Just a little. That was _his_ show. _News Night_ belonged to him for 12 weeks. And then Northwestern happened and he went to Charlie and said he couldn’t work with the asshole anymore. He made a case for firing Will, since it seemed what should happen after he aimed that profanity laced tirade at a student. So he pitched a solution to Charlie because he wanted to show he could make hard decisions. Someday he wanted Charlie Skinner’s job. He said give Elliot 10PM and move everyone else up an hour. Then he could take Elliot and his show and turn it into something. Charlie sat for a long time, moving his bourbon around his glass. Finally he said he’d think about it.

It was the beginning of the end. Charlie thought about it. Will went on a vacation that everyone assumed Charlie demanded. And then one day Charlie called Don into his office. He offered Don a drink, which Don didn’t accept, and he said, “I gave your idea some serious thought. I’m not going to fire Will, he’s too talented and he’s the face of the network. We’re going to put this behind us and I’m going to bring in an EP that can handle him.”

Don wanted to jump up and tell Charlie he had made a mistake. No one could work with an ass like Will and even if someone could, what the fuck kind of talent does he have? He’s the fucking Jay Leno of news. But he sat still, waiting to hear Charlie fire him for overplaying his hand. “We are going to make a change at 10:00. Arthur is out and I have offered Elliot the time slot. He said he would like to work with you if you want it.”

Ever since then, the cards seemed stacked against him. Charlie was right about Mackenzie. She could hold her own against Will and she corrected the ship. There were times she was downright brilliant. And he had to keep reminding himself of that when he sulked about the difference in their marching orders and the talent they had to steer. She had to put together a good show. He had to bring in ratings. She had a prosecutor who got seduced by news when he was at the top of his profession. He had a glorified beat reporter who’d gotten noticed by pure accident. She had a more prominent time slot to get the pick of the interviews. He had the cleanup slot that got ratings from people who forgot to turn off their tv before falling asleep. 

He didn’t resent Mackenzie, she brought him the ratings that he had. He resented the situation. And that’s why he pushed for Elliot to go to Egypt instead of sending a correspondent. He wanted to make a mark. He wanted to show Charlie and anyone else who watched and who mattered that he could do the news too. He was in the same league as she was. Don had visions of Elliot and a translator interviewing rebel leaders and standing in the middle of a circle of protestors while valiantly giving the update. A street side view of the winners parade at the end of it. It wouldn’t be just good TV, though it would be that. It would be news that he could deliver and that Mac shied away from. 

Instead, Elliot was trapped in a fucking hotel room, not getting anymore news than every other fucking network in the country. Hell, their B roll didn’t even come from this country, the BBC got it. And every fucking network has shown it on a loop for days. 

When Elliot answered the phone, Don didn’t wait for pleasantries. “We sent you to Egypt for a reason. To get a story. I don’t care what the fuck you have to do, just get a fucking story.”

And then he hung up.

Don stalked back to the control room for the end of _News Night_. He looked at Mackenzie who felt the same as him he’s sure, she just didn’t have the guts to send her guy out like he did. His guy will come back with something and he’ll remind Charlie why he got promoted as quickly as he did.

At the final break, Don’s phone rang. He didn’t recognize the number so he didn’t answer. When it rang a second time immediately after, he left the control room. 

“Don, this is Pete, Elliot’s cameraman. There was an accident. We got him to a hospital, but you’re going to want to him home immediately.”

Don felt the blood drain from his face. He remembered Mackenzie warning against American journalists covering the story. He thought she was being ridiculous. “Wha- Wha – What happened?”

“He wanted to leave the hotel to get an interview. We barely made it out of the building when there were some men with bricks.”

Don wanted to vomit. Pete kept talking, and Don listened enough to pick up ribs, black eye, and arm. “Okay, okay. Has he called his wife?”

“I don’t think so. We scared them away and got him to a hospital. The doctors are looking at him. You were the only number I had.”

“You did the right thing. I’ll get you both back ASAP and I’ll call his wife. Thanks for calling.”

Don put the phone down. Mac had never told him, or anyone as far as he can tell, about Iraq. But she knew. She fucking knew and she tried to warn him. He didn’t have time to think about that right now. He had to call… Mrs. Hirsch. Fuck! How did he not know her name? Was he as big an asshole as Will? He had to tell Charlie and get Will to cover Elliot’s show. He had to get Elliot home. 

There’s a responsibility that goes with doing the news. Mackenzie is good at her job because she never forgets that. Don still has a lot to learn. 


End file.
